👩‍🏫

How to Say ‘Teacher (primary school)’ in French

Le maître / la maîtresse

luh MEH-truh lah meh-TRESS

[luh MEH-truh lah meh-TRESS]

💬 Usage Tip: Outside school, maîtresse can also mean mistress. At the school gate nobody hears it that way.

🇫🇷 In France: Children and parents use le maître or la maîtresse for primary teachers. Middle and high school teachers are le professeur or le prof.

Phrase Breakdown

Le maître /

luh MEH-truh

The (male) teacher

This is the word for a male primary-school teacher. Say luh METR.

Example

Le maître est sympa.

The teacher is nice.

Words in this phrase

[luh]

the

Used as a function word to indicate a noun and to mark the noun as definite.

Example

Le chat noir.

The black cat.

maître

[MEH-truh]

teacher (male, primary school)

Informal word for a male primary school teacher; literally 'master'.

Example

Le maître est très gentil.

The teacher is very kind.

la maîtresse

lah meh-TRESS

the (female) teacher

This is the word for a female primary-school teacher. Say lah meh-TRESS.

Example

La maîtresse s'appelle Julie.

The teacher's name is Julie.

Words in this phrase

[lah]

the (feminine singular)

Definite article used before a feminine singular noun.

Example

La réservation est déjà confirmée pour samedi soir.

The reservation is already confirmed for Saturday evening.

maîtresse

[meh-TRESS]

teacher (female, primary school)

Common word children and parents use for a female primary school teacher.

Example

La maîtresse donne des devoirs.

The teacher gives homework.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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